Morning journal and courier., 1887-09-02
.lso at the mighty things done in the Victo:

also at the mighty things done in the Victo- rian era.
 It is worth thinking about that the two greatest reigns England has known, have been under the rule of female sovereigns. Many articles were heavily taxed when Eliz- abeth became queen. Most of these taxes were kept up, but some that were felt to be grievances were reduced or removed. Mon ey had been raised by giving certain trades men the right to make or sell particular kinds of goods, and the right was granted by Parliament. On one occasion when the member asked, "Is not bread among the number?" The answer was, May" and it was uttered in astonishment. "It may be may just now," it was added. "but if no remedy is found bread will be there before next Parliament"
 The matter was brought under the atten- tion of the queen and she agreed to the re- moval of some of the worst of the abuses. It was the custom in her reign to have early meals. The rich now dine 1ate--too late. In Elizabeth's reign they dined before the poorer people, their hour for dinner being eleven in the forenoon, and for supper be- tween five and six in the evening. Shop keepers and the middle classes generally took the same meals an hour later; the laboring people an hour later still. Salt fish, salt beef, barley bread and beer made up the principal food of the great mass of the peo- pie. People well off lived 1uxuriously, for they had begun to copy the cooking methods cooks and foreign dishes. We had begun also to borrow our styles of dress from France. Poor people had of course to wear what they could get; but the styles for those who could afford them, in the case of both women and men, were very rich and pie turesque.
 The male costume consisted of long trunk hose, long waisted doublet, short cloak, hat band and feather, shoes with bows or buckles. Great brooches tstuffed with hair like wool sacks" were worn by the dandies of the time. These brooches were of silk, velvet, satin or damask, and the doublets to match were still more costly, being of the finest quality, and ''slashed, jagged, pinched and laced, ;" and over these we are told were worn coats and jerkins in as many varieties as there are days in the year." The men of the time were quite as gay as the women, and indeed they wore the same kind of stockings and gloves. A poet of the period gives us this picture of an EliZabethan flop:
 A farm in shoe strings edged with gold,
 And spangled garters worth copy-hold;
 A hose and doubet which lordshfP cost;
 gaudy cloak, three manors' price almost;
 beaver band and feather for the head
 Priced at the church tithe, the poor mans bread.
 The women wore a hooped petticoat known as 8 fardingsle, as wonderful a cons trlvance as the stuffed brooches" of the men. The bosom was covered with what from it's position was called stomacher, and on each side of the stomacher the far dingale rose, fell and spread out It was the ruff, however, that was the most char acteristic feature of the EliZebethau female dress This was of plaited linen or cam- brio and rose from the front of the shout ders and extended round the back of the head, rising at the back until it was near- ly on level with the crown As starch ing had not been introduced the ruff was propped up with pins of ivory or metal. Before the fashion died out the starchin9 process was brought into use by people from Flanders, who came over to London and taught the art for fee of about five pounds. Stockings, when used at all, were got from abroad up to the time of Edward VI, but they could be had home made in Elizabeth's time, and it was during her reign that the stocking frame was invented.
 The women of the period wore high heeled of headdress and caps. Several proclama- tions against ''excess of apparel" were is- sued by Elizabeth but she does not seem to have applied any of them to her own case, her own wardrobe containing at the time of her death as many as three thousand differ ent habits. It is stated that she wore by turns the costumes of all the nations of Eu- rope.
 One of her historians tells us that when she appeared in public she was richly adorned with the most valuable clothes, set off with much gold and jewels of inestima- b1e value, and on such occasions she took care to wear high shoes that she might seem taller than she was.